


Kamukura's Heart Throbbing Island Adventure

by BaristaKitty, ensembleklavier (orphan_account)



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Island Mode, M/M, Multi, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-16
Updated: 2016-12-16
Packaged: 2018-08-22 18:20:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8295488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BaristaKitty/pseuds/BaristaKitty, https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/ensembleklavier
Summary: This island had to be the Neo World Program, considering that Kamukura’s last memories were of surrendering himself to the Future Foundation with this exact destination in mind.However, he wasn’t supposed to be conscious right now--he was supposed to be nonexistent,maybe a ghost at best if the notion of a “soul” existed.Hinata Hajime should have been here instead of him, not with him.An Island Mode AU in which Kamukura and Hinata both exist simultaneously.





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will be updating Illusion of Probability and Reserve Reverse relatively soon--sorry for all the lagging on updating/publishing lately! Most of what I've been focusing on the past two months has been too personal to publish.
> 
> Please enjoy!

By no means should Kamukura be here right now, standing in Jabberwock Park with his “classmates” and witnessing such a ridiculous display as Monokuma and Usami battled each other.

He knew that it  _ shouldn’t _ be possible, especially because Hinata had just arrived on the island with Komaeda, his face twisted in disbelief as he took in the scene before them.

It seemed so unreal and like something out of a movie or video game—but then again, the Neo World Program wasn’t reality.

Theoretically, anything could be possible in a virtual world, but if Kamukura had somehow regressed to his self of well over a year ago,  _ he _ shouldn’t be here.

This had to be the Neo World Program, considering that Kamukura’s last memories were of surrendering himself to the Future Foundation with this exact destination in mind.

However, he wasn’t supposed to be conscious right now--he was supposed to be nonexistent,   
maybe a ghost at best if the notion of a “soul” existed.

Hinata Hajime should have been here instead of him, not  _ with _ him.

What had happened?

Kamukura clenched his fist and surmised the most likely explanation.

Somehow, Hinata Hajime had already existed inside of his own mind. Although he was told that his former personality was completely erased, it wasn’t as if Hope’s Peak scientists were competent enough to pull that off.

Hinata was not erased, just suppressed.

Because of that, the moment Kamukura came into being, he was his own person from the start. It certainly never felt that way, but that was the only possibility he could fathom that could lead to him being here right now.

The Junko AI wouldn’t have had the knowledge to separate him from Hinata or even look for an alternate existence within the same body, considering that he hadn’t even wanted this to be a possibility. He was precise with editing the program after the real thing had given it to him, limiting what she could do here by a considerable amount. She could only overtake the teacher’s role now, and the playing field was to be even enough to be interesting.

_ So why…? _

Kamukura looked down at his own hands, noted that he was still in his Reserve Course uniform. He was really here.

_ I don’t understand...Hinata Hajime and I should not be separate existences. I am his second form, his evolution...I had no interest in experiencing this. I’m so bored with being alive already. _ __  
  


Hinata’s voice--his voice, with a different spirit--broke his train of thought. “What in the...what in the world is going on here?!”

Komaeda gasped, eyes widening in delight. “What an unexpected turn of events!”

Surprisingly, Usami emerged victorious, and Monokuma was sent flying towards the ocean into oblivion.  

That was odd. She shouldn’t have won.

It dawned on Kamukura then that something very well could have gone wrong with the Junko AI, and that something was responsible for both his being here right now and Monokuma’s loss.

Usami dusted her paws off, beaming proudly to her students while holding her magic stick. “It’s alright, class! I’ve protected you!”

\- - - - -

Kamukura couldn’t help but think about how it wasn’t supposed to go like this, that there had to be some sort of mistake.

He was actually...disappointed. This was a result that he couldn’t have predicted, and yet he was unhappy with it.

As Usami explained the rules of Island Life, which consisted of menial slave labor, cleaning, and obligatory “bonding” with each other, a newfound bitterness overtook him.

He could hear Hinata and Komaeda whispering to each other somewhere in the back.

“Hinata-kun, that guy...kinda looks like you.”

“What? ...Komaeda, be quiet, he’s right there!”

_ If this program’s session is successful, then only Hinata will wake up. That serves me just as well. _

If he had to go through fifty days of this, then so be it.

He looked back to Hinata, who was already staring at him.

Hinata quickly turned his eyes away, apparently embarrassed.

_Was my past self really this dull?_ _He looks so average. ...By process of elimination, he’s the only person here I don’t remember. So that has to be him._

When Usami had finished with her lecture on friendship, love, and gathering Hope Fragments, every word of which Kamukura tuned out, he decided to make sure.

“Hinata Hajime?” Kamukura approached him as he was turning to leave with Komaeda, who was predictably already clinging to him. “That’s your name, right?”

“Y-Yeah…” Hinata answered, gulping nervously. “Do I know you?”

Kamukura pondered the correct response.

It wasn’t like he could tell Hinata the truth--well, he  _ could _ , but it’d be much more interesting to observe him in an undisturbed state.

“No,” Kamukura answered. “I just wanted to make sure it was you.”

“How do you know my name if I don’t know you, then?” Hinata sounded suspicious, but Kamukura got the feeling that this was just his nature. “...Wait a second! Do you...know me from the HPA online message boards?” he asked.

“Yes.” Hinata was giving him an out to work with?  _ How fortunate. _

Hinata’s cutting voice softened significantly. “Hey, um...if it’s not too much to ask, can you tell me whatever you read about me? It seems like being thrown into this situation has given me...some kind of amnesia.”

“Wait a second,” Komaeda interrupted, smiling broadly. “Kamukura-kun, you mean to tell me...you frequent the HPA boards, too? That’s amazing! And to think that you’d know of a student I’d   
never even heard of…”

“Yeah,” Kamukura answered plainly. “What do you want to know, Hinata?”

Hinata scratched the back of his head. “I...can’t seem to remember…what my talent is. It’s embarrassing, but it feels like a huge part of myself is missing, you know?”

“Your talent…” Kamukura knew his words right now would no doubt sway this situation. It needed to be something believable, that Hinata had a possibility of achieving through the placebo effect.

That could have an unexpected result.

Hinata was no doubt smarter than the average person, and that reflected in his initial distrusting attitude. But he was also someone with insecurities. If he believed he had a talent, he should   
have the confidence that it would come back to him regardless whether or not he   
knew what it was.

Izuru stared him down, knew that there was no way that  _ this _ Hinata knew anything. He really was clueless, thinking he had some fantastic talent that he’d forgotten.

“Actually, while I remember seeing your name on the message boards, your talent was never revealed. A supposed insider from Hope’s Peak claimed to know what it was, but the only post they made on the matter was that your information was completely classified. I’m guessing other posters didn’t believe them, and so you weren’t spoken about outside of that one thread. However, because you are here right now and I’ve confirmed that it’s you, I’m curious as to what your talent is. So—to clarify—you’re saying that you definitely don’t remember it?”

Hinata quickly shook his head. “No, I don’t.”

“I see…” Kamukura pretended to think on it for a few seconds. “Well, then, I have a theory. Whoever is responsible for bringing us to this island, Hope’s Peak, must have intentionally erased your memory of your talents. It could be that you’re so talented, you’d find surviving here too easy and the goal of this trip is to depend on each other and build camaraderie.”

Hinata blinked, soaking in the possibility that he was something so grand that he had to attend the class field trip without his abilities.

Komaeda smiled broadly, delighted that he’d been so naturally drawn to someone with so much talent and equally mesmerized by Kamukura’s fast and efficient thinking.

Kamukura spoke again. “That’s only a theory, of course. There’s also the possibility that you simply hit your head too hard. You  _ were _ unconscious up until not even half an hour ago.”

Hinata rubbed the back of his head and frowned.

“Kamukura-kun,” Komaeda’s eyes flickered between him and Hinata almost erratically. “That’s quite the analysis! Is that your talent? You haven’t mentioned what it is…”

_ That’s right, I haven’t… _

Upon meeting Komaeda in the classroom earlier, Kamukura had ignored everything past introductions and explicitly refused to say anything more until he’d gotten a grip on the situation.

“I’m sure you already figured it out,” Kamukura replied dully. “But my talent is SHSL Analyst. And as such, I’d like to make a request of you, Hinata.”

He wasn’t sure when he’d decided on this, but considering that he was stuck here for time being and he needed to unravel the reasoning behind their separation, it only made sense.

Hinata was still dwelling on his own thoughts, probably thinking about how secretly amazing he must be when in fact he was likely the dullest of the dull and nothing more than a reserve course student who had just gotten lucky.

_ No, it’s too soon to make that sort of judgment. I don’t know anything about him yet. _

He blinked, focusing back to Kamukura. “Yeah?”

“I’d like to figure out exactly what your talent is, so I’d like to spend some time with you while we’re here.”

Hinata smiled, nodded eagerly and held out his hand. “I would appreciate that! Kamukura, right? You already know this, but…I’m Hinata Hajime. It’s nice to meet you.”

Hinata had a very rambunctious energy about him, and his skin had a healthier and more…human glow to it, compared to Kamukura’s icy complexion.

He thought about that contrast as he took Hinata’s hand and unenthusiastically shook it.

In just a few minutes of having met his former self, Kamukura realized that they were in fact two entirely different people.

Considering that he didn’t remember anything from his time as Hinata Hajime, Kamukura decided that getting to know him over the course of fifty days while investigating the Neo World Program and what had gone wrong with its programming would at least keep him entertained for the duration of his existence here.

  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I'm ensembleklavier~  
> They wrote the previous chapter, but I wrote this one--we intend to switch off on Kamukura/Hinata perspectives!  
> They did, however, edit this portion, and deserve credit for being a great editor :3

Hinata was wandering around by the beach, pondering how to spend his free time today. Upon Monomi’s request, he had spent “quality love-love time” with a few people over the course of the week. He’d gotten a hope fragment from burning books with Mioda in the library (...why had he suggested that? Luckily, with a wave of her wand, Monomi had repaired the damage and replaced the books), got another when Komaeda had nixed his idea of riding roller coasters at the amusement park and dragged him onto a carousel instead, and yet another taking Sonia to the movies. 

The only person coming to mind that he hadn’t really spoken to at all since the beginning of the trip was Kamukura Izuru--although he had witnessed Kamukura...observing him across the table during breakfast every morning. Hinata would’ve thought this behavior was weird from anyone else, but the Super High Level Analyst...intense observation had to be ingrained into his genetic code. For all he knew, Kamukura might really be trying to help him figure out his talent.

Regardless of Kamukura’s hypothetical good intentions, he really had no idea what to say to the guy, how to start a conversation with someone so...clinical. Komaeda had been happy enough to chatter away with Kamukura (who, whenever Hinata glanced over, blatantly wasn’t listening to a word he said), but he wasn’t that sort of person. He’d never been great at talking to others, never known the right things to say to make someone his friend. 

In fact, he’d been worried about getting hope fragments at all, but the first few had been surprisingly easy; Hinata assumed that was because that was the first level, so to speak. Getting deeper with everyone in order to collect more fragments would be difficult for him, so he’d been skipping around person to person. 

Hinata couldn’t avoid everything forever, though, and he knew that. It was probably best to get on with talking to Kamukura, maybe use asking if he’d made any headway on figuring out his talent as an icebreaker. If he could get Kamukura’s first level hope fragment, knowing how difficult the guy was to get along with, that might give him a much needed boost of confidence. 

Hinata sighed, and made himself start walking.

 

*****

 

He found Kamukura out by the strange moss covered door they’d all discovered on the first few days on the island, just like he’d hoped he would. He spent a disproportionate amount of time here, according to Komaeda’s chatter on the way home from the carousel, and currently appeared to be deep in thought. 

Hinata smoothed his tie, took a hesitant step forward, and cleared his throat. “Uh...Kamukura?”

“Hinata Hajime…why are you here?” he said, with a mild tone of irritation lacing his voice. He didn’t bother to turn around to face him. Hinata thought that was rude, even if he had interrupted Kamukura’s...analyzing. Of whatever this was. 

“I’m  _ here _ because we’re all supposed to be gathering hope fragments, and you’re just...standing around, staring at stuff a lot, according to Komaeda. Haven’t you made any friends yet?” 

“No,” he replied simply.

“W-Well...we should go explore the island together, you know?” Hinata scratched the back of his head, acutely aware of how awkward this was. “Or...something…”

Kamukura turned around then, giving him a quick yet highly uncomfortable once-over. After a few even more uncomfortable moments of mutual silence, he spoke. “Pick somewhere.”

“M-Me? Why me? I don’t really care where we go…”

“I’ve already been over this whole island. I have no preference either.”

“Uh…” Hinata glanced down at his shoes and took aim at a stray vine root. “Well...I guess...I haven’t been to the weapons repository yet…?” He had no interest in going, not really, but he got the sense he’d have to visit it with everyone eventually.  _ Might as well start with Kamukura. Challenge yourself, Hajime! _

“Mmm...I agree that we should arm ourselves. Particularly you, with your lean yet scrawny body composition.” Kamukura nodded in finality. 

“No...uh...I didn’t mean for us to ARM ourselves...I just thought it would be fun to just look around, you know? Explore, see what we can find! Who knows, there might be some hidden information on why we’re on this island in the first place, just waiting to be found.”

Kamukura stared at him blankly for a few more minutes, then eventually gave a noncommittal shrug. “Lead the way, then.”

*********************

Kamukura had asked Hinata to lead, but that had lasted all of about five minutes (Hinata wasn’t a great navigator, apparently far too slow for his companion’s taste). They were now walking across the seemingly endless expanse of sand, Hinata sheepishly following Kamukura.  

Without much else to focus on, Hinata’s eyes eventually trailed to Kamukura’s rippling curtain of raven black hair, trailing behind him. It moved as he did, in subtle waves. Hinata idly wondered what had inspired such an ostentatious hairstyle--in his opinion, a nice, simple, no-nonsense look would do Kamukura some good. 

It was something about the combination of the sharp suit, his flowing locks, his piercing eyes and the empty expression they always held that just turned people off...made him appear…

“I would like to point out,” Kamukura said, interrupting his train of thought, “that you, Hinata Hajime, have not only gotten lost on the way to the weapons repository, but you cannot even keep up with my brisk yet semi-leisurely pace. We’re almost there, but all the same: I would recommend working on your cognitive and motor skills.”

_...Pretentious.That’s the word I’m looking for. _

_ … _

_...If you already knew where it was, why did you ask me to lead?! _

_ ************************ _

The weapons repository was even more intimidating than Hinata had expected--large and dangerous looking metal beasts littered the cemented landscape, punctuated by the occasional stray missile or torpedo launcher. 

_ Why is this place here, on a island like this? ...Is Kamukura right? Will we really have to arm ourselves…? _

“Hinata. You appear frightened.” Kamukura said, glancing sideways at him. 

“I-I’m not  _ frightened.  _ Quit treating me like I’m younger than you...we’re in the same class…” he huffed. “Why couldn’t you’ve used an adjective like ‘apprehensive’ or ‘cautious’...?”

“Because you currently remind me of a shivering, newborn kitten that’s been caught out in a rainstorm. That kitten isn’t being cautious or apprehensive, Hinata. He is frightened. Different words have differing meanings. That’s what it means to speak a language.” Kamukura blinked. 

“W-Whatever...just drop it..” Hinata shoved his hands into his pants pockets and shrugged. “Do you wanna just start looking around? What are you interested in?” 

“We can just start here and work our way around the place. That seems to be the most efficient way to do things.” Kamukura said. 

Hinata nodded. “Right.” He felt determined to not fall behind again, so he steeled his nerves and went over to a particularly compact, non-intimidating jet. 

When he got close enough, he ran a finger over the shiny metal exterior. It was just as clean as it looked--no dust or residue. _ That means this place had been active until we got here, probably fully operational...why was no one but that annoying pink bunny taking care of this place now? In fact, what even is that thing? Some sort of high tech robot?  _

“Hey, Kamukura, what do you think about...this…huh...?” Sensing a complete lack of presence around him, Hinata spun around to find the near area completely vacant. 

Glancing around, he found Kamukura far across from him, looking at a much bigger, spiky jet on the other side of the repository. 

“Who does he think he is…” Hinata muttered under his breath, marching over to the massive jet. “Hey! Kamukura! I thought we said we’d start together and work our way around?” he yelled. 

“Yes. I decided to start on this end. I have no sway over what you decide.” 

“You…” Hinata grumbled under his breath, but cut himself off before he could say anything more.  _ I’ll never get a hope fragment if I keep going like this...I won’t let this day be a waste, damnit! Come on, Hajime, just...make conversation with him...keep your cool...maybe he just doesn’t know how he sounds. _

“Are you analyzing it? That jet?”

“Staring isn’t the same as analyzing, Hinata.”

“W-Well, I don’t know!” he spluttered, throwing his arms up in the air. “I don’t know how Super High School Level Analysts do their thing…” 

“...Their thing.” It wasn’t a question. 

“Whatever...I don’t have anything else to say to a guy like you…” Hinata said with a huff, taking a few pointed steps to the left, pretending to be interested in a nearby tank. He didn’t intend to give up on his previous goal so quickly, but he felt insulted.

_ Even KOMAEDA is easier to talk to... _

Kamukura wasn’t far behind. “Do you like tanks, Hinata?”

“Do YOU like tanks, Kamukura?” he said, tone frigid. 

“I think they could be handy for exploring unknown territory, yes. Especially if large scale danger is a possibility. However, I also feel there are better, less traceable human creations for mass destruction. For example, me--” Kamukura cut himself off with an unexpected cough. 

“Hinata, stop tapping your foot in the dirt, it’s causing the air to become laden with it, and I can’t breathe.”

Hinata hadn’t realized he was moving his foot at all.  _ Well, I am nervous… _

“Uh...sorry. Listening to you talk about mass destruction is kind of...intimidating.” 

“Oh. Anyway, as I was saying, a much better weapon overall would be a medium sized portable bazooka, assuming you had a few men available to man it...but tanks have their uses, too.” he said, giving the side of the tank an awkward pet.

“Do you...uh...I don’t know…” Hinata understood he should probably respond, but he was at a complete loss for words.  _ Say something, Hajime...say anything...say the first thing that comes into your head… _

Hinata took a deep breath. “Do you wanna ride the tanks?” 

_...Oh. _

_...Oh, NO. _

His face immediately flushed as Kamukura stared at him quizzically, tilting his head slightly to the left. Hinata balled his hands up into fists by his side, wanting to punch his own lights out. 

_ Th-This is just like that time with Mioda in the library...oh my god...I didn’t actually want to burn books...why do I say things like this… _

“Yes,” said Kamukura.

“...Uh?”

“Yes, I want to ride the tanks.” He nodded. “I have yet to ride a tank.” 

“Oh...well...uh...okay?” Hinata felt a new kind of panic. “I don’t know how to drive a tank though…”

Kamakura gave a sort of barely there half-smile and said, “I know. That’s what makes it interesting.” 

 

*******************

After Kamukura had hoisted himself up onto the top of the tank via a ladder attached to the side and opened the entry portal, Hinata had climbed in quickly afterwards with many regrets. It was clear from the tiny interior that not only did Hinata have no clue how to even start the thing (he was immediately faced with a dashboard full of buttons, switches and monitors that all looked the same), but that he had no breathing room at all. This little space would be cramped for one person, let alone two, and he could feel Kamukura inches away from his back. 

“L-Look...don’t you know how to drive a tank? Could you just...analyze the dashboard, at least?”

“Hinata...I’m a Super High School Level Analyst. I don’t know how to drive a tank. I don’t have the faintest clue...but I would suggest starting with the black switch on the far left.” Kamukura’s voice echoed from behind him off the thick metal walls, causing a slight reverb effect. 

“Right…” Hinata reached over and hesitantly pulled the lever down, hearing an unceasing sputtering noise as he did. “Does that mean the engine is on now?” 

“Yes…” 

“Uh...any more tips?”

“No. That would make this predictable.” 

Hinata shook his head incredulously.  _ He obviously knows SOMETHING about tanks, or at least more than I do, and yet...does this guy want to die?  _

…. _ Well, I have to make a move… _

“I guess...maybe...this…?” Hinata muttered to himself as he pressed the largest button on the panel.

There was a startling rattling noise from above, followed by a thud.

“...What? Hey, Kamukura, did I just do something?”

“Yes. You activated the cannon. You can now cause mass destruction, if you wish.” 

Hinata whipped around, staring at him. “O-Of course I’m not gonna do that! What’s wrong with you? I don’t want to activate the cannon...I just wanted to take you for a ride…” 

Kamukura’s bright red eyes glowed softly in the darkness as he looked back at him. Hinata found himself unable to find any specific emotion in their depths, and yet...somehow, his expression looked almost...slightly less harsh than usual. 

“Hinata Hajime...are you saying...you wished to entertain me?” he said, holding Hinata prisoner in his stare. 

“Huh? N-No...I didn’t say that…” He found himself feeling suddenly flustered, acutely aware of how close he was to Kamukura. He almost felt that he could feel their body heat mingling together. “I just wanted this to be a good time...for both of us…” 

Kamukura’s eyes narrowed, and it was obvious he was thinking--but not in a condescending empty way, just simply contemplative.  _ Analyzing me...probably. _

“Alright, Hinata,” he said, coming to some sort of conclusion. “Let me...help, then. Turn back around.”

“Uh...right…” 

“Are you ready to learn?”

“I...guess? But if you already know how to do this, I don’t see why you’re not the one--” Hinata’s statement was cut off as he felt cold, firm hands wrap around his own. 

“Y-You’re too close.”  _ I-I can feel him touching me... _

“Tanks are small,” Kamukura said, leaving it at that. “Now…” 

WIth a relaxed grip on his wrist, Kamukura moved Hinata’s hand to rest on a small lever in the middle of the panel. “Push this to make the tank go forward, and pull it to go backwards. 

“What about left and right?”

“I’m getting to that…” Hinata watched as his other wrist was dragged to a large red knob next to the lever. “Twist this to go left or right as you’re pushing the lever.”

Kamukura lowered his voice. “And don’t push that, over there,” he said, raising one finger from Hinata’s wrist to point at an innocuous looking blue button. “You will fire the cannon, and I’m under the impression that you do not wish to fire the cannon, even if it would be an interesting variable to this ride.” 

“Y-Your impression is correct...thanks…” Hinata briefly wondered if Kamukura would’ve told him to push it if he hadn’t spoken up.  _ Probably wouldn’t have even told me what it would do...I have to be careful around this guy… _

“I’m gonna start trying to move it now...okay?” Hinata said, mildly concerned for his life. 

“Yeah.” Kamukura lifted his grip and took a few steps away from him.

His heart pounding in his chest, Hinata nudged the lever forward. 

 

***********

After going around in a circle for ten minutes while Kamukura silently judged him, Hinata had started to get the hang of things. He wasn’t making any crazy moves (like he knew Kamukura was waiting for), but he was moving along at a steady pace through the weapons repository, avoiding large trucks and mounted guns as he went. 

“Hey, driving a tank isn’t so bad!” Hinata called out over the engine. “I don’t know what I was so worried about!”

“You are moving at five miles an hour. You’re right, nothing to be worried about.” Kamukura replied.

_ Y-You know...everything he says sounds so neutral...so why does that somehow sting?! _

Hinata sighed. “Are you...not having a good time? This probably wasn’t the best idea, huh?” 

“I thought you would fire the cannon.” 

“Well, don’t expect things like that from me! I’m not going to risk anybody’s lives so you can see the cannon fire, including yours! We could both get hurt!” 

“Hmm…” Kamukura murmured. He paused before speaking again, “Why not?”

“Why not?! What do you mean? Why do I care about people not getting injured? What kind of question is that?” Hinata spluttered, feeling a little bit of anger smoldering in the pit of his stomach. “I mean, don’t you at least care about your own life?” 

“Not particularly.” 

Hinata stopped moving the tank and turned around, his anger turning into confusion and pity, but those feelings vanished just as quickly, too. He expected Kamukura to be forlorn after saying something that somber, but his expression hadn’t changed an inch. If anything, Kamukura looked...bored.

“Why would you just go and say something like that? If you’re trying to pull some kind of trick here to make me lower my guard and feel sorry for you, I’m not falling for it--”

“It’s no trick. Just a truth about my existence.” He paused. “As a Super High School Level Analyst, I have the power to predict the future, my future, everyone’s future before it happens. You just have to connect the dots. My talent bores me, and therefore as does everything else. That’s all.” Kamukura waved his hand towards the dash. “It’s dull just sitting here. Continue.”

Hinata didn’t know how to react to what he’d just heard, let alone the appropriate thing to say. He could see how life could get boring as the Super High School Level Analyst, but…

_ It’s hard to sympathize when I don’t even know what my talent is. I have no idea what sets me apart from every other person.  _

“Hey, Kamukura...:”

“Yeah?”

“Do you...uh, have you...um…”

“Figured out your talent? No.” He tilted his head off to the side. “You’re very fixated on talent or lack of, Hinata...why do you persist in your pursuit of the truth? Why not just...let it go for now? Amnesia very rarely lasts forever.”

“I’m…” Hinata looked at the ground.  _ Why am I so worried? I guess...if I had to pick a reason… _

_ It’s because I’m not enough as I am. I need...to be worth something. _

“I guess I just want to share my talent with everyone so they can get to know me better, and we can leave faster, you know? I just don’t wanna be in limbo like this” He shrugged.

“Hinata Hajime...talent says nothing about who you are,” said Kamukura. Despite looking at his feet, Hinata could feel Kamukura gazing at him. 

“As things stand...your talent being a proverbial Schrodinger’s cat...once the box is opened, you will be one thing. But as you are now...you are everything. Do you understand the power in not knowing? Being in limbo...is having freedom.”

“Well…” Hinata didn’t really know if he agreed with him or not, but he could feel the sincerity behind his words. “If that’s how you feel, then I’ll keep that in mind.”

Kamukura nodded. “Be patient. If you don’t remember your talent soon, I’m sure I’ll have it figured out.”

“Alright...thanks.”  _ Maybe Kamukura has a heart after all…?  _

“Now,” Kamukura said, reaching past Hinata for the controls, “if you don’t mind, I believe we are in a clear enough area to use the cannon while only having minimal potential casualties.”

... _ Never mind. _

Hinata swatted his hand away. “I think that’s enough tank riding for today.”

Kamukura said nothing in response, but somehow Hinata got the impression he was pouting. 

“Fine…” he said, “but next time, I want to choose where we go.”

“I told you you could’ve chosen this time!”

“Yeah, but...I did not know you were like this.”

“Like  _ what _ ?” Hinata exclaimed, turning the lever into the off position. “Quit insulting me, and just climb out of the tank already...it’s probably dark outside by now…”

As Kamukura worked the hatch open, Hinata sighed and opened his student handbook. He was greeted with a notification immediately: “ _ New Hope Fragment!! Love, Love!” _

Hinata blinked in surprise.  _ What, really? _

_ I guess...he really did have fun riding tanks? _

_ Who knew? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on [tumblr here](http://bullet-refutation.tumblr.com)! Thank you for reading ~


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi ~ It's ensembleklavier again (I wrote the last chapter, Yamimori wrote the previous, and Yamimori will be writing the next one!). This FTE is set at the movie theater! I hope you like it! ~

_ Oh, man...just...ugh... _

Hinata Hajime didn’t currently have any words to justify or explain the situation he’d found himself in, but if he was forced to sum it up in one word, it would probably be “whoa”. An extremely awkward, completely uncomfortable “whoa”. 

After their tank riding adventure at the weapons repository, Hinata and Kamukura Izuru had rarely spoken. There had been a few stilted obligatory conversations when they ran into each other at the breakfast hall or out and about on the island, but that was about it. These conversations mostly consisted of Hinata spouting off small talk phrases like “how’s the weather today?” and Kamukura replying with some condescending quip like “you’re standing outside, Hinata. Can you not feel the difference between varying temperatures?” and Hinata concluding the conversation with a muttered “I was just trying to make conversation”, a pervasive cloud of self deprecation following him around for at least an hour afterwards. 

Kamukura was a being made up of at least 98% pure elitism, and Hinata didn’t know how to handle someone that self confident. He still couldn’t decide if he was rude on purpose or just extremely matter of fact and socially inept, but one thing was for sure: he definitely didn’t trust the guy. 

But...the situation at hand would eventually call for him to hang out with Kamukura again, and he knew that. Hinata just...hadn’t expected it to happen again so soon, and he certainly hadn’t expected Kamukura to approach him first, which he had surprisingly opted to do. 

“Hinata Hajime…” Kamukura had said, staring at him across the table during breakfast.

“W-What? And why do you always have to say my full name like that?”

“Today is a good day to collect Hope Crystals, and the two of us only have one from each other. Meet me at the movie theatre around six,” he had replied, and with that, he’d gotten up and left, despite Hinata stuttering out “Huh?! Why is today a good day? Hey, Kamukura! What are you even talking about?”.

So he’d found himself standing outside the island theater, waiting on Kamukura to show up (who was already an hour late), regretting not just saying “no way, you can’t just decide I’ll meet up with you on your own!” and going about his day more comfortably. 

_ Why the theatre...he doesn’t seem like a movie guy...we could’ve just gone to the park or something… _

Hinata wasn’t even sure what was currently playing, or how that pink bunny thing even set up what was shown, but he was sure whatever Kamukura would want to see wouldn’t suit his own tastes. He could just feel it. 

_ Maybe I should go look before he gets here…? Be assertive and just pick one out first? I don’t wanna watch some weird documentary… _

He turned around, looking at the front of the theatre for some indication of what might be available, but there weren’t any informative signs or posters that were obvious upon a quick visual sweep. 

_ Maybe inside…? _

Hinata looked back over his shoulder to make sure Kamukura still wasn’t coming, and gripped the smooth silver handle to the front doors, pulling it open.

The theatre’s inside was sort of….bland...and very predictable. There was a popcorn machine and some sort of weird gift shop consisting of just a few cheap looking items. Hinata noticed a few promo posters, including one of a girl holding a megaphone, but finding actual movie listings was tough. 

He walked over to the concession stand, looked over the counter, thinking he could at least get some decent food out of this trip, and his eyes met with several large, cardboard boxes. Each had a movie genre written out in glittery pink ink across the top: “horror”, “mystery”, “adventure”, “romance”, and “Monomi’s Favorite Stories”. 

Hinata didn’t want to see what sort of horror Kamukura would be interested in (upon even just considering it, an unbidden “yikes” came to mind), knew he’d just guess the outcome of the mystery within the first few minutes of the movie, and watching a romantic comedy with the likes of him gave him shivers (and an even louder mental “YIKES”). The box labeled “Monomi’s Favorite Stories” gave him an ominous feeling, so an adventure flick would probably be the best and safest choice. 

...Regardless, he did have to wonder what sort of movies that surprisingly mobile pink bunny robot thing liked to watch.  _ Opening the box just a bit shouldn’t do any harm, right? I mean, it’s right out here in the open...it shouldn’t be out here if she doesn’t want anybody to touch it… _

Hinata carefully peeled back a bit of the tape on the left corner, and opened the flap just enough to peer through. His current view didn’t give him full visual access to everything in the box, but a few titles were clear enough, the labels plastered across movie reel containers.

It was basically what he had expected--all anime titles, mostly of the frilly and girly variety. Sailor Moon, Tokyo Mew Mew, Cardcaptor Sakura…

_ Boy, there sure are a lot of magical girl titles in here… _

_ Hmm… _

_ Well...she probably wouldn’t have THAT anime, it’d be a bit too dark for her tastes, right? _

Hinata peeled the tape back further, telling himself he’d find another roll and retape it later, just in case he wasn’t supposed to be looking and it was out here by mistake.

More magical girl titles packed the box--Princess Tutu, a few different Precure titles...and near the very back of the box... 

_...She actually has it?! _

...a movie reel container with the label “Puella Magi Magica Madoka” was placed. 

In his younger years, Hinata had gone through an anime phase--mostly filled with action, adventure, and mystery genres. Generally, he ended up watching whatever was popular at the time. Unfortunately, his grades started to slip a bit, and his parents noticed, found the root cause, then confiscated his computer--effectively leaving him distraction free (and a bit sad that nobody approved of his new, cheap hobby). 

He hadn’t been hurting anyone, had just wanted something else to do than simply study...he’d never really had any real friends, so it had been a relaxing end to his day to trade out reading his textbooks before bed for watching a few new episodes of Gintama or Naruto. 

Even though his parents had been under the impression that he no longer had access to anime or the internet, they’d forgotten that the library he visited to study before an exam had computer access, and Hinata took full advantage. Of course, he still studied, it was in his nature, but he always took thirty minutes to catch up on whatever he was watching at the time. 

Once he’d run through the Top Ten Best Anime lists on most sites, he realized he’d watched nearly everything listed, and he was out of ideas. The only anime he hadn’t given a chance was Puella Magi Madoka Magica, an anime with cutesy promo art featuring girls with wands and frilly outfits. He’d deemed it Not For Him upon first glance, he didn’t have any interest in magical girl anime, but considering he was really out of guaranteed good shows, and he didn’t have time to browse around, he glumly decided to give it the three episode test. 

The first two episodes were interesting enough, if not basically what he’d expected, but the third episode had really roped him in. Hinata hadn’t given too much credit to the comments that had claimed the series was “more mature than what you’d expect! you won’t see the direction to plot takes coming!” but ultimately, those reviews had been right! He really hadn’t seen the dark twist coming! All the other anime he’d watched had been good, but had basically been formulaic shounen anime or comedies, so at the time, this really struck him as something new. 

(Hinata, being a very socially aware person, was also not under the illusion Puella Madoka Magica was not something, at first glance, most teenage Japanese males should be this into, so he always picked the computer in the furthest back corner of the library to watch it on. Just to be safe, he made himself a barricade around the computer with his school folders, hoping he just came off as a mysterious guy.) 

As the series went on, he became more and more engaged, even finding himself sad at the idea of it only being twelve episodes and even sadder when the series had ended. He’d even gone so far as to buy a pair of Kyouko (a red haired magical girl with a bit of a tsundere streak that Hinata kind of found himself attracted to) socks to drown his sorrow. 

He sighed, finding a bit of past melancholy lingering along with the sudden deluge of memories. Simultaneously, he was feeling warmly nostalgic at finding the series in Monomi’s box, so he decided to come take the reel back to his cottage later and see if he couldn’t set it up for watching.

….Alone.

_ I’m glad there’s other boxes...I can just pick some adventure movies I don’t actually care about to watch with Kamukura, then maybe I can just fall asleep…?  _

As his thought trailed off, a horrifying realization dawned on Hinata, a reminder of the purpose of this trip. 

_ If I just pick something that I have no emotional attachment to, and fall asleep….oh no...doesn’t that mean I won’t get a hope shard? Doesn’t that mean this irritating day will have been for nothing? I...I don’t wanna come here with him again...but if I can’t open up a bit...we’ll never reach the goal today...what do I do….? _

Hinata wracked his brain desperately for some solution, any solution, but in the end, there was only one path he could take, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t weasel his way out of it. His stomach dropped, quickly followed by a strong wave of nausea. 

If he were to be faced with a menu screen right now, there would be only one choice that would lead to a hope shard.

_ I have to show...Kamukura Izuru...Super High School Level Analyst...Puella Magi Madoka Magica.  _

_...if I’ve forgotten how I got into Hope’s Peak, even my own talent, why the hell can’t I forget this show?! _

  
  


_ ******************************************************************************************************** _

 

Kamukura Izuru, fashionably late, made his way up the path leading to the movie theatre he’d graciously offered to meet Hinata Hajime at. He’d gotten held up by a certain Komaeda Nagito, who had talked his ear off for the better part of a half hour, throwing phrases like “Kamukura-kun, I think we should get to know each other better...if it’s not too cumbersome to be around someone as lowly as me, that is!” and “I sense a great...no, an adjective better than great...a word that my small, insufficient brain can’t even think of...maybe...beautiful...yes, I sense a BEAUTIFUL hope in you, Kamukura-kun, one that could perhaps come to fruition in the darkest of circumstances!” at him.

He could see right through Komaeda--for all the peppered self deprecation in his speech, he was a dangerous, manipulative person who treasured his warped version of “hope” above all else. He also had the putrid, slimy feeling of someone who was rotting inside, body and spirit. He wouldn’t have long to live. 

With all that being said, although he was tempted to deem Komaeda boring, he was an anomaly on this island, and therefore worth not completely ignoring. So when he’d asked if Kamukura would like to go to the beach with him (and Hinata, apparently, who Kamukura suspected wasn’t aware of this plan yet) next week, he’d agreed. If nothing else, he believed Komaeda capable of drawing out the best and worst in a person, depending on which he’d rather see, so it would be interesting to watch him interact with Hinata.  

...He was late a full hour arriving to the theatre, but that wasn’t because of Komaeda, that was because he simply hadn’t felt like leaving yet.

His last outing with Hinata had certainly left something to be desired--he’d hoped he could’ve goaded him into firing the cannon. Not only did he have some interest in watching the mass destruction that would follow a few cannon fires (maybe blow apart a few of the more...annoying inhabitants of this island for example), he needed to see if the cannon would fire at all in their current situation. Monomi, who had overtaken the Junko AI, may have placed some glitch in the Neo World Program that wouldn’t allow any sort of violence. A good first step to figuring out what had happened to create their current world was to understand exactly how much power she had. The Junko AI ought to have taken complete control, so he had briefly considered that she may be still be lurking within the program somewhere. However, if Monomi had enough authority to safeguard every computer generated aspect of the entire Neo World Program, that was highly unlikely. 

Long story short, bonding time with his former self had been fruitless and had ultimately impeded his research. He’d received only a Hope Shard for his efforts, and he wasn’t really sure why. 

With all that being said, the Hope Shards themselves were an interesting concept. Since this world had been originally derailed at the start of the program, would they still serve their intended concept? If the Junko AI had succeeded in glitching out any mechanic, it would’ve targeted the Hope Shards first, as they were the key to rehabilitation. Kamukura, after thinking about it, decided he wanted to see what happened if they followed the program as scheduled. 

Additionally, Hinata Hajime himself  _ was _ an interesting existence, considering he was the base for Kamukura’s being. Being so incredibly fixated on talent was baffling to him, but if nothing else, exploring the depths of his inferiority complex would give him some insight into why he was created in the first place. Hinata didn’t remember the origin of his decision, but perhaps...that was best. If he did begin to remember, it was very clear he’d be in no state to collect Hope Fragments or give Kamukura any information at all. He’d decided he would string Hinata along with the “Super High Level Analyst” bit as long as possible, and make a decision on what to tell him when the time came. 

Kamukura (who truthfully had never seen a movie in his life, despite knowing everything about them) placed his hand on the metal handle attached to the double doors in front of the theatre and swung them open, surveying the room, trying to find Hinata.

He was easy to find--in fact, a bit too easy, considering he was standing directly in front of the double doors, a box stuffed with movie reels in his arms. He looked tense. 

“H-Hey! Um...how’s it going?” he said, his voice laced with a mysterious twinge of hysteria. 

“It’s...going,” Kamukura replied, nodding once. 

“Well. That’s...good to hear. That’s great. I’m really glad your day is moving along.” 

“You sound terrified. Much like a child who has lost their mother. Or perhaps a squalling duck, about to be eaten by a large predator.” Kamukura considered himself very good with metaphors, and liked to use them often in his speech.  _ Metaphors are a good way to explain complex things to simple people.  _

“Why do you always have to talk like that? Don’t you know it’s not polite to point out people’s emotions?” Hinata said, frowning.

“There is nothing to indicate that is a social problem. People always point out when another is happy, so why wouldn’t that apply to other feelings? In fact, people throw whole celebrations in which everyone is supposed to be happy together, like Valentine’s Day, or New Year’s.” 

“What…? You know...never mind.” Hinata shook his head. “Let’s just drop it...I have several anime I picked out, I was thinking we could watch a few episodes of each?”

“...Anime…? I have no interest in anime. Anime...was a mistake.” 

“Uh...you seem...really opinionated on anime. Like...uncharacteristically opinionated.” Hinata said quizzically. “Did you...have an ex-girlfriend who didn’t like anime or something? A bad experience?”

“I have watched one anime and one anime only, and I was forced to watch it at the behest of a girl with an insipid personality who wanted nothing more than to annoy me. So, yes...a bad experience, indeed.” 

“Huh…? Well, I mean, what did you watch? Not all anime is the same, you know.”

“You, too...seem uncharacteristically opinionated on anime, Hinata.” 

Kamukura stared at him, and Hinata stared back. He noted the sweat beads forming on Hinata’s forehead, and his clenched fists by his side.

_ If you had seen the horrors I’ve seen...you would understand. One cannot...simply accept anime after seeing something like...that. But...there’s a strange look in his eye, a confusing sense of passion in his tone of voice ever since I got here. Anime might be a mistake, but the fact that he has such a strong opinion on the subject could provide some interesting information. _

“Why not a documentary?” Kamukura inquired, trying to probe carefully at the root of his behavior. 

“Because I got here first, and I don’t want to watch a documentary,” Hinata huffed. “And that’s all I have to say about that.”

“...Fine. What do you have?” 

“Well...ah...I just...you know, grabbed three reels randomly from the back that I haven’t seen before, ever, and decided to give them a go. You know? You know what I mean?” 

“Yes. Nothing you said justifies asking me if I understood twice in a row.”

“Um...right...well, how about I just pop one in and we see what it’s about?” Hinata said, making his way over to the movie room, waving his free arm in an arc for emphasis.

“That’s fine.” Kamukura shrugged, following him through the dark doors. 

 

************************************************************************************************

“Um...okay...this one should be a good start, I think…a good way to ease into things...” muttered Hinata under his breath as he ran his fingers through his hair, coming to sit back down next to Kamukura after setting up a movie reel.

“Hinata, is there some sort of source cause as to why you’re so tense?” asked Kamukura, recalling that Hinata had strategically carried the movies so he couldn’t see the one on the bottom.  _ Like something that obvious would escape my notice. _

“N-Not really...I’d rather just get on with it, you know?” he shrugged.

Kamukura stared at him until he shrugged again, this time with more emphasis. 

_ I could just call him out here...but...that would be boring. _

“So...uh…” said Hinata, obviously uncomfortable with something as benign and common as silence for reasons Kamukura didn’t understand. “I put in a couple, but these will be at least a few hours each, so I was thinking we could just watch one or two episodes of each reel and call it a day?” 

“That...hardly seems efficient. Why have you opted to choose full length shows over a singular movie? Do you believe the shows will help us reach our goal of obtaining a Hope Shard, while the movies would be insufficient?” said Kamukura, very well knowing that was likely the cause. 

“ _ UH _ ...well...I mean...I guess you could say...there’s one in particular that I think you should watch?” Hinata replied, his voice curling up at the end as if he was asking a question.

“On what grounds?” 

“Ah...well...I kind of personally like it. It means something special to me.” Hinata aggressively shrugged again, twice in a row, and Kamukura fought an impulse to hold his shoulders in place.

“Then why don’t we just watch that?”

“I mean...I guess...we should.” 

“Then…”

“...then...I’ll go put that one in…”

“That’s probably best,” Kamukura said. “That’s probably what you should’ve done in the first place.”

“Whatever…just wait here…” Hinata groaned, standing up.

Kamukura concluded that it would take Hinata at least ten minutes to set the reel, so he promptly got up and opted to go look around. The lobby was of most interest, as it seemed somewhat uniquely set up. The goods counter in particular had caught his eye--he’d seen a Monokuma on a button display, so he was certain that the Junko AI had infiltrated the movie theater, at least a little, before its program had collapsed, and Kamukura was interested in seeing what it had opted to prioritize. 

Upon opening the wide double doors and letting his eyes adjust to the too-bright, fluorescent lights, he quickly spotted the counter he’d been thinking of and walked over to it. There was...nearly nothing, just a few knick knacks. The button he’d been thinking of was actually just a sticker, an ordinary sticker, with a picture of a Monokuma and the text “I’m with stupid” below it in large, obnoxiously pink letters. 

Kamukura concluded this was likely something simply left over from the intended world ruled by the Junko AI that Monomi had skipped over due to its irrelevance and not something Junko had prioritized at all. That was the likely scenario, but even with that being said…

There was a small, small chance that this was a hidden trigger, or powerful device that Junko had disguised and left behind. The sticker itself was lightweight and benign….

_ Best to keep it in my pocket for now...I must examine all possibilities. _

Kamukura checked his watch.  _ Three minutes until Hinata comes back...is there some arbitrary gift I can take from this counter to help speed things along? _

Scanning the counter, there was nothing even a diluted, dumbed down version of himself would be even remotely interested in. In fact, there wasn’t anything that he wouldn’t at least be repulsed by. 

_ That means I should go with nourishment...everybody likes nourishment, right? _

There was the fare to be expected at a movie theater (or so Kamukura’s SHSL Vendor talent told him, it wasn’t like he knew firsthand): popcorn, sodas, boxes of candy.  _ All lacking in substance. _ Kamukura fought the impulse to roll his eyes. 

_ That thin, yet mildly built version of me doesn’t need empty calories...the sustenance most beneficial to his body type and age group would include protein.  _

After a bit more looking around, Kamukura spied a hot dog rack past all the popcorn machines and boxes.  _ Reheated meat isn’t ideal, but...he ought to at least appreciate the effort to keep his body running.  _

_ One minute until Hinata gets back...I ought to hurry. _

Kamukura quickly placed one of the hot dogs on a bun, wrapped it up in a nearby transportable box, and walked back over to the theater doors. 

Hinata, unfortunately, was already sitting down, tapping his thumbs together ( _ why? _ ) and bouncing his foot.  _ What is on this tape that would make him so nervous? _

“I’m back,” said Kamukura, announcing his presence to make sure he didn’t startle such a weak individual. 

“O-Oh...yeah...hey, I thought I told you to stay here! And what’s that?” Hinata replied, pointing at the box. 

“I got you something. That’s why I got up in the first place. You ought to be displaying gratitude.”  _ He’ll never guess my true motivations.  _

“Yeah, whatever. You probably just got up because you got bored.”

_...Well. _

Upon hearing no answer, Hinata sighed. “Just...give me the box, I guess…”

Kamukura took his seat next to Hinata and held it out. 

“Let me just...wow, this is wrapped up pretty fancy, isn’t it…? ….wait...why...did you get me a hot dog?” 

“I haven’t witnessed you eating today, and so I picked the most optimal form of nutrition for your body composition.”

“My body composition...reminds you of a hot dog?!” 

“In a way.” 

“I don’t...even like hot dogs…”

“Hinata Hajime...has anyone ever told you that you can be a bit obtuse?”

“OBTUSE?”

“Yes. By the unspoken law of human interaction, you ought to not…’look a gift horse in the mouth’, as they say,” Kamukura said, a bit bemused as to why Hinata didn’t just eat his food. 

“Um...I mean...I can TRY to eat it,” Hinata replied, wrinkling up his nose like a particularly picky five year old. “Did they have any kusamochi…?” 

“No, Hinata. Kusamochi isn’t served at movie theaters.” 

“Well, it should be…” he muttered as he took a reluctant bite. “Anyways...I set up the reel to start playing about five minutes from now...the machine needed time to start up…” 

“Then...we wait.”

“I-I guess...uh...hey, Kamukura?”

“Yeah?”

“Uh...I don’t really know how to say this in a way that doesn’t sound pathetic, but...I feel like I’m kinda being forced into showing you this, and I know it’s going to come off weird, but it’s also a series that meant a lot to me...can you promise to not tell anyone afterwards? I know asking a guy like you to not make snide remarks is...probably not going to amount to much, but…at least keep it to yourself.”

“Hinata...are you declaring this a secret?” Kamukura asked, tilting his head.  _ Am I about to be shown...some sort of secret in regards to this island? Has Hinata figured out something…? _

“Y-Yeah, in a way. I’m just saying I want to keep it just between us.”

“Your reasoning?” 

“That’s just how it is,” Hinata replied, shrugging. “You don’t have to…’logic’ out everything, you know.” 

Kamukura stared at him, unsure of what to make of the direction this all was taking. It was within the realm of possibility that Hinata didn’t want to vocalize his thoughts on their situation, and instead felt more comfortable creating a presentation. 

_...Why? Does he think someone will overhear if we speak out in the open? _

“Stop staring at me,” Hinata muttered, placing his head in his hands. “Just watch it...it’s starting.” 

 

******************************************************************************************

_ Well.  _

_ That was...decidedly not...new information about the island.  _

_...I can say that much. _

Six hours later, Kamukura and Hinata had emerged from the movie theatre, with Hinata promptly running into the restroom with his face bright red as soon as it had all ended, leaving Kamukura out in the lobby waiting for him to come back. 

During the anime, next to nothing was said by either party, the only noise between them being Hinata’s incessant tapping of foot, which only ceased when Kamukura opted to reach over, grabbed his knee, and held his leg down for him. It had been simple, yet effective.

Ultimately, they ought to have stopped after a couple of episodes, but Hinata was too involved with eating his hot dog, then when he was done with that, he became absorbed with adjusting his tie, then re-adjusting it, and then re-adjusting it again, and Kamukura wasn’t concerned enough to get up and shut it off, so they both simply sat in the dark for six hours, watching girls in frilly dresses make bad life decisions. 

...He hadn’t hated it. Not a particularly productive usage of six hours, but not a torturous one, either. That was Kamukura’s verdict on the situation at hand, and he didn’t quite understand why Hinata had been so jittery over viewing it with him. 

About ten minutes from the time he had left, Hinata re-emerged from the restroom, wringing his hands together. 

“Um...yeah...so...you stuck around, huh…?” he said, not sounding particularly happy about that fact. 

“Yes. Did you expect me to simply disappear into the night, blending in with the darkness like a shadow?” 

“Well...kind of.”

“I have a corporeal form, Hinata. I cannot simply become the darkness. That’s an irrational assumption.”

“...Alright.”

“I would if I could.”

“Okay. Um, can we leave now…?” 

“I suppose,” Kamukura said to Hinata’s already retreating figure. 

... _ All the same, I do get the sense that Hinata Hajime has shared a piece of himself with me. I suppose...I shouldn’t let this outing end with this sort of feeling. He may not want to speak to me again due to his irrational, unfounded fear of social embarrassment. _

“My favorite part,” Kamukura called out, “my favorite part was when the blonde girl got eaten by the witch.” 

Hinata turned around. “Uh… you...uh...liked that part, did you?” 

“Yes. It was unexpected and the witch had a solid, engaging strategic plan. I would’ve done a similar bait and switch.”  

“Right...I guess it’s good you could identify with...somebody,” Hinata said, awkwardly scratching his head. “Hey…” 

“...What?”

“W-Who...who is your...favorite girl…?”

“Hinata Hajime...are you asking me who my waifu is?” 

Hinata visibly cringed, balling up one of his hands. “You don’t have to...use that sort of slang…” 

“I liked Kyouko,” Kamukura replied, folding his arms. “She struggled through life, yet she survived on her own. I can respect that.” 

“O-Oh...you liked her…? I guess...she’s alright...you know, if you like a tsundere.” 

“Yes. She reminded me of you.”

Hinata’s eyes grew wide, and whatever improvements he may have made on how flushed his face was disappeared, leaving his cheeks painted a painfully obvious bright crimson. “W-W-What?! ...What...do you even mean by saying such a thing…?!” 

“You have similar core traits in common. Like, being unable to say what you mean directly, or using an overtly snarky tone, or even just being an obtuse, simple person, as I stated earlier--”

“ALRIGHT…alright...I get it...f-fine…thanks, I guess…” Hinata said, kicking at the ground with his shoe, eyes averted. “So...um...you won’t mention this to anyone? How much I like this series?”

“It wouldn’t be advantageous in any way for me to do so, so no. I do not do things I cannot profit from.”

“...Right...well, thanks for that, too.”

“Yeah.” 

“Can we leave now…? It’s dark…” Hinata whined, already turning to face the door.

“Yeah,” answered Kamukura, following his retreating figure. As he walked past Hinata, who was already holding the door open for him, he heard a distant beep in his pocket. 

_ I suppose that means...we’re ‘closer’, then. _


End file.
